The weather is heating up, my apartment is turning into a fishbowl, and all I’m craving are recipes that don’t require much actual cooking. After spending the last few months with a borderline unhealthy obsession with my dill pickle tuna salad, I decided it was finally time to switch up my meal prep lunches.
This pepperoncini chicken salad was inspired by a tuna sandwich I had at Radio Bakery here in NYC. Their tuna salad was loaded with pepperoncinis, lemon zest, and capers, which gave it so much freshness, brightness, and just the right amount of kick. I immediately knew I wanted to recreate those flavors at home.
So I took that inspiration and turned it into a chicken salad, adding fresh dill and lemon zest for brightness, capers for a salty bite, chopped pepperoncinis and a splash of the brine for tang and heat, and Greek yogurt for a protein-packed, creamy base. The result is a chicken salad that’s fresh, flavorful, and truly addicting. So much so that half of it disappeared before it ever made it onto a sandwich.
High in protein, perfect for meal prep, and packed with flavor, this is the kind of lunch you’ll look forward to eating all week. Serve it with crackers, pile it onto your favorite sandwich (focaccia is especially good, especially with more pepperoncinis and some salt and vinegar chips?!!!), or toss it into a loaded chopped salad. However you serve it, I have a feeling this one is about to become your newest hyperfixation too.
A Couple of Tips:
- Adding the chopped shallots with the lemon zest, juice, and a pinch of salt to your bowl first, helps mellow out the sometimes harsh flavors of a raw onion. I do this with my tuna salad too and it works wonders!
- I use rotisserie chicken and chop it up into small pieces, as I feel the texture is better than shredded or diced. It also makes this perfectly scoopable to serve with crackers.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. The zest adds brightness and flavor without adding too much liquid.
Pepperoncini Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
Fresh, tangy, and packed with protein, this Pepperoncini Chicken Salad combines shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, dill, lemon, capers, and pepperoncinis for an easy meal prepped lunch.
Ingredients
For the Pepperoncini Chicken Salad:
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 2 cups cooked finely diced chicken (10-12oz)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsps mayonnaise
- ½ cup pepperoncinis, chopped
- 1 tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 2 tbsps fresh chopped dill
- 2 tsp capers, chopped
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp whole grain mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Directions:
For the Pepperoncini Chicken Salad:
- To a large bowl, add the finely diced shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Set aside for 1-2 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
- To the bowl, add the chicken, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped pepperoncinis, pepperoncini juice, dill, capers, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and taste to adjust for seasoning.
- Serve with crackers, on a sandwich, or in a salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: No Cook
